Shoe tree



G. ALBINO Dec. 28, 1948.

SHOE TREE Filed June 17, 1946 I N VEN TOR. Ge orge 1 7127117240 B Y Patented Dec. 28, 1948 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SHOE TREE I George Albino, Waterbury, Conn.

Application June 17, 1946, Serial No. 677,184

This invention relates to improvements in shoe trees, and more particularly to an adjustable shoe tree adapted to fit a shoe at difierent periods of its wear.

'One object of the present invention is to provide a shoe tree of the above nature, which is especially adapted to be made from moldedplastic, and having a manually releasable lock slide for holding the toe part and heel part of the shoe tree in any of its adjusted positions.

A further object is to provide a shoe tree of the above nature in which the toe part and heel part are each made of two hollow sections cemented together at their abutting faces and reinforced by dowel pins.

A further object is to provide a device of the above nature which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install and manipulate, compact, ornamental in appearance, and very efiicient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in View, there has been illustrated on the accompanying drawing, one form in which the invention may conveniently be embodied in practice.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 represents a side view of one half of the shoe tree comprising a fore part and a heel part, the flexible link connecting said parts, and the sliding locking bar, shown in section along the line l! of Fig. 2, and also showing in dotted lines the raised position of the heel part before assembly in the shoe.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the shoe tree in its operating position.

Fig. 3 is a rear view of the heel part of the shoe tree showing in cross section the connecting link taken through one of the unused notches thereof.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the same, taken along the line 4'-4 of Fig. 3, looking downwardly.

The present invention permits shoes, when not in use to be kept in a stretched condition in their original shape and size, thus prolonging greatly the life thereof.

The shoe tree of the present invention may be collapsed quickly to facilitate removal from the shoe and may be easily extended lengthwise after insertion in the shoe to expand and stretch it to its normal size.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter T indicates the toe part of the shoe, and the letter H the heel part thereof. The toe part T comprises a pair of complementary hollow half sections l0,

9 Claims. (Cl. 12-42815) H. open at their inside sections, and connected together by dowel pins I2 adapted to fitwithin a plurality of sockets herein shown at it, M, it: formed within the abutting, sides of said half sections Hi, H. The toe part T is provided with a vertical rear face l5a as clearly shown in Fig. l. The heel part H of the shoe comprises a pair of complementary hollow: half sections l6, H having a plurality of holes herein shown as l8, i8, 28, 2 l, for the reception of the dowel pins l2 which serve to hold said half sections Hi, I? together permanent alignment.

The numeralv 22 indicates a top handle for the rear-heel part H. V

Each of the two sets of ,half sections of the toe part T and heel part B are adapted to be permanently secured together by a layer of cement located between the abutting halves of said parts.

In order to connect flexibly the toe part T to'the heel part H, provision is made of a pair of aligned narrow slots 23, 24 in the vertical rear base We oisaid toe part half sections H), H for receiving the forward part of a substantially horizontal link 21 having rounded ends, andwhich ismounted on a pair of pivot pins 28, 29 secured to enlarged bosses B, Bl. on the interior of the toe partTand heel part H, respectively. The link 21 has an elongated slot 35 near its rear surrounding the pivot pin 29. The rear heel part H is provided with a pair of aligned wide slots 25, 26, preferably dovetailed at their edges for receiving an upward.- ly inclined lock slide 35 having beveled side edges 36, 31 fitting within said dovetailed slots 25, 26.

The front face of the heel part H is inclined as indicated by the numeral 26a.

Provision is also made of a plurality of inclined top notches 3!, 32, 33, 34 in the top of the horizontal link 21, which notches are adapted to selectively receive the upper edge of a slot 34a formed in the locking slide 35, as clearly shown in Fig. 1-. The locking slide 35 is provided with a vertical top handle 38 for convenience in manipulation.

Operation In operation, when it is desired to use the shoe tree, the handle 38 will first be raised to release the link 21. The heel part H will then be adjusted with respect to the toe part T to fit the shoe, not shown. The locking slide 35 will then be depressed until it engages in one of the notches SI, 32, 33, 3 2 according to the of the shoe, whereupon the heel part H will be raised and swung from the full line position as shown in Fig. l, to the dotted line collapsed position therein. The toe part T will then be inserted into the all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the followingclaims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new, and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

1. In a shoe tree, a hollow toe part, a hollow i heel part, a link pivotally connected to each of said parts by means of pivot pins embedded in the material of said toe and heel parts, said link havin a plurality of notches in its upper surface,

and an upstanding locking member slidable in the forward face of said heel part for engaging selectively in any one of said notches accordin to the fit of the shoe.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1, in which said connecting link is provided with an interior slot embracing the pivot pin of said heel part.

. 3. The invention as defined in claim 1, in which said toe and heel parts are each constructed of a pair of hollow complementary half sections connected together by cement and reinforced by horizontal dowel pins passing through aligned sockets in said sections. v 1

4. The invention as defined in claim 1, in'which said locking slide is provided with an upper manipulating handle, and said heel part is provided the rear face of said toe part is provided with a narrow slot embracing said connecting link, and the forward face of said heel section is provided 4 with a wide slot for receiving said locking slide, said locking slide having a narrow slot embracing said connecting link.

7. The invention as defined in claim 1, in which said locking slide has beveled side edges, and said heel section is provided with dovetailed slots for receiving said bevelled side edges.

8. In a shoe tree, a hollow toe part, a hollow heel part, said parts each having a narrow slot in "their respectively adjacent faces, and being otherwise completely enclosed, a pair of laterally spaced bosses integral with each part at the inner sides of the respective slots, a link disposed'in said slots and pivotally connected to each of said parts between the bosses by means of horizontal pivot pins embedded in the material of said bosses, said link having a plurality of notches in itsupper surface, and an upstandlng'locking member slidable in the forward face of said heel part for engaging selectively in any one of said notches according to the fit of the shoe.-

,9'. In a shoe tree, a hollow 'end part comprising a pair of complementary concave sections disposed in edge-to-edge relation, and constituting a complete enclosure having an end wall traversed by the edges of the sections, a narrow slot in said end wall formed by offset portions of said edges, means securing the remaining portions of said edges together throughout their extent, a pair of spaced interior bosses formed integrally with said section adjacent said slot, a pin secured in said bosses pivotally mounting a link extending through said slot, and a second end part secured to said link.

GEORGE ALBINO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 411,622 Smith Sept. 24, 1889 1,062,165 Kobert May 20, 1913 1,232,529 Gilbertson July 10, 1917 2,360,112

- De Witt Oct. 10, 1944 

